Pray in the Name and Power of Christ
"A person cannot always speak in the name of another; cannot do it at all unless he has received an authorization so to do. Then he stands as that person’s deputy; stands in his place; speaks in his name. I am sure that nine out of ten of the prayers of Christians are not offered in the name of Christ, and could not be. It would be a sin against Christ for such prayers to be supposed to be the prayers of Christ. ... But when we talk of the Spirit of God, and we dare ask in the name and use the seal of Christ, to set his signature at the bottom of our petition, then, brethren, depend upon it. Christ will do it." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Several times a week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt steps to the podium to relay to an awaiting press pool the mind and intentions of the president, Donald J. Trump. She does so as all of her predecessors have done. For example: Jen Psaki and Karine Jean-Pierre, on behalf of President Joe Biden; Dana Perino and Ari Fleisher on behalf of President George W. Bush; George Stephanopoulos on behalf of President Bill Clinton; Jim Brady on behalf of Ronald Reagan; Jody Powell on behalf of Presdient Jimmy Carter; and so on.
When they speak from that podium, they dare not speak their own mind. They are conveying policy, they are conveying presidential action, they are conveying administrative intent. To speak their own mind, heart, or opinion would be to misprepresent the office of the presidency, and would be a gross violation of their calling and position.
Likewise, when we pray in the name of Jesus, we are proclaiming that we are praying on His behalf of His authority.
But are we?!
- - Authorization Requirement: Speaking or acting for another requires authorization. This authorization allows one to represent the other person. As believers, we are "authorized" to speak in Jesus' name, in so much as we do not speak amiss. "If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14, ESV).
- - Praying "In the Name of Christ": Many Christian prayers are not offered "in the name of Christ". Praying in Jesus' name signifies approaching God based on Christ's merit, not one's own, and seeking to please Him and glorify the Father. "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:13, ESV).
- - Misunderstanding "In Jesus' Name": Adding "in Jesus' name" at the end of a prayer does not guarantee praying with Christ's authority. It signifies aligning prayers with Christ's character and intentions.
- - Authentic Prayer: To pray in Jesus' name requires understanding Him, His actions, and His promises. It means acknowledging reliance on Him for access to God and praying according to God's will. "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us" (1 John 5:14, ESV).
- - Caution: Prayers not aligned with Christ's will or character are considered a sin against Him and should expect no response or fulfillment. "You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures" (James 4:3, NKJV).
Prayers in Jesus' name should be shaped as Christ might offer them and submitted to God's will.
Just as the presidential press secretaries are bound by duty and postion to speak soley in line with the mind and intentions of the president, so must we be quite certain to not overstep the bounds of our own position.
To pray in Jesus' name, we must know the mind of God AND the heart of God, and aptly allign ourselves to it! Only then, when we speak in alignment "with the Spirit of God, and we dare ask in the name and use the seal of Christ, to set his signature at the bottom of our petition, can we depend upon it. Christ will do it."
"If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you" (John 15:7, NIV).
Timing Change
On a conventional piston engine — which is found in virtually all modern passenger cars — the up-and-down motion of the pistons turn the crankshaft, and the crankshaft turns the camshaft, which opens the valves at the proper time. What typically connects the crankshaft to the camshaft is either a cogged timing belt riding on pulleys or a timing chain riding on sprockets. Both setups look somewhat like a bicycle’s chain and sprockets.
If the timing belt or timing chain fails, the engine stops running immediately, potentially resulting in expensive internal engine damage.
Though it’s certainly a matter of opinion that’s based largely on your priorities, it’s generally felt that timing chains are better than timing belts. While most timing belts are supposed to be replaced every 60,000 to 120,000 miles, many timing chains end up lasting the life of the car. That can be significant because replacing a timing belt is a fairly complicated job that can easily cost $500 to $1,000.
Time is a gift from God. It must be used wisely, circumspectly. And what's more, it must be in sync with the engine that drives us — God!
If we are out of sync with God's will and purposes, like a vehicle in disrepair, we'll just end up lurching and sputtering down the road. When we are out of rythmn — out of timing — with God's will and purposes, our lives will get pretty bumpy and ineffectual.
Each day presents us with the opportunity for a timing change of our hearts, getting us in sync with God's will and purposes for our days, for our lives. Consider it daily maintenance which will keep us in rythmn with the heart of God.
To do otherwise could potentially be spiritually quite costly.
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens" (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NIV).
"Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16, ESV).
Missed It By 'That' Much
Different directional compasses bear different markings. Some compasses are marked off to display a full 360 degrees, and some are marked in gradations of 20 degrees. Some also display a "declination." The declination is a means of showing the difference between magnetic north and true north.
Have you ever been on a cruise ship out in the middle of the ocean and wondered how in the world the captain and crew knew which way to go? We know they use, among many navigational tools, a compass, but how does it work?
If you've ever looked at a compass, you know that there are hundreds of little hash marks — 360 to be exact — that mark off each separate degree of direction.
When a captain sets course, they know exactly to which little degree mark they need to set the compass. As long as they stay on that course, they will reach their destination.
But what would happen if someone moved the compass one little tiny degree to the left? At first it would look like you were still going in the same direction, on course for your destination. But in reality, as the vessel proceeded en route, the ship would be moving ever so slightly 1° away from the original course.
Before you know it, that ship would be miles away from its planned destination, all because it was one little tiny degree off course.
It is the same way in our spiritual experience ...
We set the course for our life, our day, our relationships, our work experience, etc., with the intention of focusing on Jesus, but we are fighting an enemy who wants to get us off course.
Of course our enemy — ol' Beezlebub — knows we won't likely make a 180° turn away from God, or even a 45° move away from Him. But if he can get us to compromise just one little degree, all he need do is just be patient.
While we think we are right on course, slowly but surely, we drift, until one day we wake up and wonder how in the world we got so far from the Lord's will for our lives.
We are wise to keep checking the compass. Keep charting our course in alignment with His will and His word.
Psalms 119:1-8 (MSG):
1 You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God.
2 You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find him.
3 That's right - you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the road he set.
4 You, God, prescribed the right way to live; now you expect us to live it.
5 Oh, that my steps might be steady, keeping to the course you set;
6 Then I'd never have any regrets in comparing my life with your counsel.
7 I thank you for speaking straight from your heart; I learn the pattern of your righteous ways.
8 I'm going to do what you tell me to do; don't ever walk off and leave me.
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6).